Christmas dinner with the world's best chefs: Pepin, Trotter, Tsai

Ever wished you could have Joel Robuchon, Thomas Keller, and Jean-Georges Vongerichten giving you pointers over your shoulder as you cooked? Well, maybe not literally -- these notoriously exacting personalities might be a handful in person. But on Epicurious, we have a virtual collection of chefs that includes these award-winners and countless others. They've all contributed their recipes to our database.

So this Christmas, we decided to make the most of this goldmine by creating a memorable Christmas dinner menu with recipes from 11 culinary all-stars. Some of the recipes are classic, like Robuchon's impeccably French steak au poivre, and some are innovative, like Ming Tsai's East/West cranberry-crab dumplings. But they all exemplify the peerless techniques on which these chefs have built their reputations, techniques that can lift your Christmas dinner above the ordinary.

This 12-recipe menu is not for the time-constrained. But if you're ready to welcome some of the world's best cooks into your kitchen, click on the links below for a pull-out-all-the-stops meal that's worth the effort. Or choose just a few recipes to incorporate into your holiday meal.

If you want to serve wine with your hors d'oeuvres, look for something with enough body to stand up to the rich crab Rangoon dumplings and pate. We'd recommend a dry Riesling, which would also pair well with the strong flavors of the first-course scallops.

For the main course, a full-bodied Cabernet or Bordeaux would be a classic choice with the steak and potatoes, and could continue through the cheese and dessert courses. If you prefer to change things up, a Muscat or tawny Port would also pair well with the cheese, flan, and mousse.

Make-Ahead Tips

Many elements of this meal can be prepared in advance. Here are specific suggestions:

Martinis: Infuse the vodka up to one week ahead. One day ahead, toast the pumpkin seeds and mix up a big batch of the Amaretto and vodka. When ready to serve, chill individual portions over ice and strain them into chilled glasses.

Rangoon: Make the dipping sauce, glaze, and cranberry mixture up to two weeks in advance. A few hours ahead, mix up the filling and fill the dumplings. Fry them just before serving.

Pate: This can be made several days ahead. Toast the baguette slices earlier in the day, and then set them out on a platter with the pate so guests can help themselves while you're preparing the scallops.

Scallops: The cauliflower and scallops must be sauteed at the last minute, but you can make the sauce in advance and reheat it before serving.

Steak and Broccoli: These both must be cooked at the last minute, but neither is time-consuming. (Be sure to make your veal stock in advance if you're not using a bouillon cube.)

Potatoes: This dish can be baked a day ahead. Reheat it in a 350 degrees oven while you're making the steak and broccoli.

Salad: Make the balsamic reduction up to a week ahead. Bake the squash and almonds a day ahead. Assemble the salad at the last minute.

Rolls: These can be made up to a month ahead and frozen. Take them out of the freezer in the morning and leave them on the counter to defrost. Reheat them for a few minutes just before serving.

Cheese: You can serve this as a cheese course after the entrees, or as an hors d'oeuvre before the meal. The onions can be cooked several days in advance.

Chocolate Mousse: This can be made a day ahead. (Note that it has to chill at least eight hours.)

Flan: Bake the flan a day ahead so it can chill overnight. Bake the crust the night before. Just before serving, unmold the flan into the crust.